Update

"The Voice of Michigan History"
recognized for 40 years at the mike

Photo caption:
Richard Vogt, who began recording books on open-reel tape in 1967, is looking forward to the conversion to digital.

When Richard Vogt began as a volunteer narrator for the Lansing Service
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Lyndon B. Johnson was in the Oval
Office and Vogt’s oldest daughter was a senior in high school. Today, the
Bell TelecomPioneer continues to record and all three of his daughters have
been invited to join AARP.

It was March 1967 when Vogt first began narrating, after being inspired by
an article in his local paper, the Lansing State Journal. He and his family
lived near a railroad line, and passing trains made it too noisy for him to
record books in the main part of the house. Vogt built a recording studio in
the basement, stuffing the walls with insulation for soundproofing. "That first
winter was great," he recalled."But during the spring, the room flooded and
I’d have to record with my feet propped up to stay dry."

His first project, The Manual of Dark Room Procedures, took him five hours and
was recorded on an old reel-to-reel tape machine. Vogt entered the completed
recording in his log—a log which contains hundreds of projects on its now-yellowing
pages.

Vogt’s family also has been active in the program. In 1967–68, when the reel-to-reel
players changed recording speeds and had to be manually adjusted, Vogt loaded
his 1956 Pontiac with the machines, drove home, and set up his wife and three
daughters with screwdrivers in an assembly line on the kitchen counter. Once,
while recording a somewhat dry history text for a blind history professor, Vogt
called in his wife Flossie and asked, "You want to play Pocahontas?" "Why sure,"
she said, and sat in for a few of the women’s parts. The professor was so delighted
with the audiobook, he called Vogt to thank him for a great listening experience.

When Raymond Kurzweil demonstrated his Kurzweil reader in 1976, Vogt was afraid
his days as a volunteer narrator would be over. But after hearing one of those
early Kurzweils himself, he realized there was still a need for the human voice
in translating print materials to audio, so he continued recording.

In 1981, Vogt retired from the Bell Telephone Company. Six years later, the Vogts
sold their home and most of their possessions to travel across North America
in a 29-foot mobile home. They removed the extra bed in the overhang of the cab
and shared the space; for Flossie it was a sewing room and for Richard it was
a recording studio. The two became experts at seeking out quiet sections of state
parks in which to record. For 22 years Vogt sent finished projects to the Lansing
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped from all over the United States
and Canada, including Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.

Vogt started recording Michigan History Magazine—which currently has a circulation
of 500—in 1992 and soon after became known in the state as "the Voice of Michigan
History." He has also been labeled "the voice of God" by a patron who was thrilled
with his recording of religious material. "He had to take some ribbing from the
staff about that one for a while," said library manager Susan Chinault.

The toughest project Vogt faced in his 40 years of recording was X324, a police
call frequencies manual for an amateur ham radio operator. He had to use a magnifying
glass to read the manual and it took 120 hours to complete the project. His longest
project, Medical Surgical Nursing, logged in at 132 hours.

His favorite books to record are farm memoirs and stories about farm life. His
current project is a light summer reading piece, The Lake, the River, and the
Other Lake, a 2006 Michigan Notable Book. His wife’s favorite is Grania: She-King
of the Irish Seas, by Morgan Llywelyn. She was so enamored of the bits of the
story she heard as he was working on it that he had to let her listen to the
whole audiobook before he could return it to the library.

In 2004, Vogt and his wife moved back to East Lansing, within walking distance
of the library. Now he can walk down to drop off finished projects and pick up
new ones. "As Vogt wraps up his 40th year of volunteer recording he says, 'Bring
on digital!' He’s ready!" said Chinault.

Cincinnati GE Volunteers celebrate milestone

Nearly 180 people filled the reception hall of the Sharonville convention
center just outside Cincinnati on May 2, 2006, as the GE Volunteers Talking
Book Reconditioning Project celebrated the repair of its 50,000th talking-book
machine. This milestone was reached in just 16 years.

Bernie Burdick, chairman of the repair project, ceremoniously presented the milestone-making
machine to Freddie Peaco, NLS government information/volunteer specialist, who
in turn presented the group with a plaque of appreciation on behalf of NLS for
the service the volunteers provide to the talking-book program. Peaco noted that
the Cincinnati Chapter of GE Volunteers has saved the NLS program an estimated
$2.6 million over the past 16 years. Burdick also presented the 50,001st and
50,002nd repaired machines to Hank Baud of the Cincinnati Association for the
Blind (CAB) and Sandra Johnson from the Ohio regional library in Cincinnati.
Scott Donnelly, president/CEO of GE Aviation, was the keynote speaker.

"The GE Volunteers Talking- Book Reconditioning Project, previously the
Senior Elfun Talking-Book Reconditioning Project, began in 1989 with five GE
retirees. On March 14, 1990, the first shipment of repaired cassette machines
was sent to CAB," said Burdick. "Kevin Watson, now the equipment
repair officer at NLS in Washington, was one of the repairmen who came down
from the machine-lending agency in Columbus, Ohio, to train the group on March
6, 1989. We've been in continuous operation since. Today there are 95 active
volunteers participating every Wednesday and Thursday, repairing amplifier
boards, motor control boards, jack boards, and transformers, and rejuvenating
batteries."

Volunteer stars honored at Oklahoma
library

Gaylen Craig Day, a news anchor for Channel 6 in Tulsa, was named 2005 Narrator
of the Year by the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
(OLBPH). Paul Adams, OLBPH’s recording studio director, presented Day with
a plaque during a special awards ceremony and luncheon on January 23, 2006,
at the library. "Craig’s narration skills bring to life the material he
reads, providing countless hours of reading pleasure to our patrons," said
Adams. Day drives 200 miles round-trip to the library once a month to record
the magazine Cowboys and Indians.

At the same ceremony, volunteer narrator and editor Linda Brown was honored as
the 2005 Volunteer of the Year, and volunteers S. Jean Clark, Janine Hoffman,
and Larry Morphis were given certificates from NLS for their exemplary contribution
to OLBPH.

Fourteen volunteers attended the luncheon, hosted by Oklahomans for Special
Library Services (OSLS)—the library’s friends group—along with
library staff and several visitors from the state office of the Department
of Rehabilitation Services and OSLS board members. "We extend a heartfelt thank
you to all of our volunteer stars," said volunteer coordinator Vicky Golightly.

South Carolina volunteers spread the word about talking
books

Photo caption: Telecom
Pioneer Ted Floyd’s
name
was added
to the plaque
of
volunteers
with more than 10 years of
service.

The South Carolina State Library hosted Volunteers Make a Difference
Every Day, a volunteer appreciation lunch, at the library on April 5, 2006.

Freddie Peaco, the NLS government information/volunteer specialist, congratulated
the volunteers on their accomplishments. "The work of volunteers reaches into
communities that you may never be aware of and all across the country. Patrons
with good working machines and plenty of books that are in good condition pass
this message on to newly blind individuals in their neighborhoods and to eligible
friends and relatives in other states, who are then encouraged to seek this service
in their own communities. I know this happens because I have heard many such
stories." State library director Patti Butcher and Talking Book Services director
Pamela Davenport also offered thanks and words of appreciation to the volunteers.

Library volunteer coordinator Naomi Bradey gave special recognition to Alice
Nolte, who has contributed more than 700 hours of service, and to Ted Floyd,
a TelecomPioneer volunteer who has repaired cassette machines for 10 years.
Nolte and Floyd will have their names added to perpetual plaques that are displayed
in the library. During 2005, more than 50 volunteers provided more than 2,100
hours of service to the library.

Caption: South Carolina State Library volunteer
coordinator Naomi Bradey (left) with volunteer Alice Nolte, who has logged
in more than 700 hours of service.

Braille student-instructor dialog

The Braille Development Section receives numerous questions concerning
a variety of problems in braille transcribing. This article addresses some
of them. The question-and-answer format is intended to give clarity.

Student: I have just completed Lesson 19 in the braille transcribing course
and am about to begin work on my 35-page trial manuscript for Library of Congress
certification. After studying Lesson 20 in the Instruction Manual for Braille
Transcribing, fourth edition, 2000, I am still uncertain about the type of
book that I should choose for my trial manuscript.

Instructor: You are not alone. The print book used for your 35-page trial manuscript
should be chosen carefully. It should not be so technical in nature that the
student must concentrate on technicalities rather than on producing accurate
braille. For example, a book that contains complex formatting problems that
are not addressed in the instruction manual should not be chosen for the trial
manuscript. A print book with pictures, diagrams, tables, or footnote references
should also be avoided. On the other hand, the book should not be so elementary
that it does not present average vocabulary and sentence structure. The book
chosen for the trial manuscript must use vocabulary approximately at the level
of a high school text.

Student: When I submitted my first 35-page trial manuscript, I failed to receive
the minimum passing score of 80 that is required for Library of Congress certification.
After studying section 20.12 of the instruction manual, it is still not clear
to me whether I am required to submit 25 or 35 pages for my second trial manuscript.

Instructor: Section 20.12 of the instruction manual says that a perfect trial
manuscript is given a score of 100, and that a score of at least 80 is required
for Library of Congress certification. If the score on the first manuscript
is between 75 and 79, a second manuscript consisting of 25 pages will be required.
If the first manuscript receives a score of below 75, then 35 pages must be
submitted for your second manuscript. If a successful score has not been attained
after a third try, the student will need to wait 12 months and retake the braille
transcribing course before submitting a fourth and final trial manuscript.

Student: I have a question about my third trial manuscript. It is my understanding
that I can braille another portion of the book that I used for my second trial
manuscript. Since I was unable to finish the chapter for my second manuscript,
may I begin my third manuscript with that same chapter?

Instructor: No. Every trial manuscript must start at the beginning of a new
chapter. You may choose any chapter from the print book other than the ones
you have already brailled. Remember that the first chapter of the trial manuscript
must always start on a new braille page.

Student: The book I have chosen for my 35-page trial manuscript contains a
number of foreign proper names. In a number of instances, there is sufficient
room to divide these names at the end of the braille line. However, the dictionary
I am using to prepare my manuscript does not always show the syllabication
of foreign proper names. How should these foreign proper names be treated in
braille?

Instructor: A very good question. It is generally true that many dictionaries
do not show the syllabication of foreign words and proper names. Therefore,
extreme caution should be taken when dividing such words and names. If, after
consulting all available resources, proper division cannot be determined, do
not divide such words and names between braille lines.

Student: I assume then that a book that contains a great deal of foreign material
should not be chosen for the 35-page trial manuscript.

Instructor: That is correct. Lesson 16 of the instruction manual provides some
very basic instructions on how to transcribe foreign-language material in literary
braille. However, a book that contains a lot of foreign words and phrases can
be quite troublesome for a braille transcriber who is not familiar with a particular
foreign language. Since there are specific rules for transcribing foreign-language
texts into braille, it is recommended that a book of this nature should not
be chosen for the trial manuscript.

In memoriam

Two volunteers provided 65 years of service

Richard C. Hamel: TelecomPioneer opened repair shop at Perkins

Richard C. (Dick) Hamel, 78, died at his home in North Andover, Massachusetts,
on April 8, 2006. Marcelle Benefant Hamel, his wife of 56 years, was by
his side.

Hamel devoted more than 20 years of service as a TelecomPioneer, during which
he initiated the talking-book repair shop at the Perkins School for the Blind
and served as the region’s talking-book machine-repair coordinator. In 1996,
Hamel assisted NLS with the Volunteer Repair Project talking-book display in
Denver, Colorado, during the TelecomPioneers general assembly meeting. In addition
to repairing equipment, Hamel helped make checkerboards for blind persons, distributed
braille playing cards, volunteered with the Special Olympics, and spent many
hours serving veterans at VA hospitals in Bedford and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Hamel was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He joined the U.S. Navy,
serving in World War II. He began his civilian career with Western Electric as
a tool and die maker, then moved to AT&T where he worked for 26 years, retiring
in 1987. He was a member of St. Michael’s Church in North Andover, where he served
as Eucharistic minister. Hamel was an avid gardener but his greatest enjoyment
came from the time he spent with his family, especially his grandchildren and
great-grandchildren.

Hamel is survived by his wife; sons Richard R. Hamel of North Andover; Russell
P. Hamel of Toronto, Canada; and Christopher A. Hamel Sr. of Auburn, New Hampshire;
daughters Jacqueline (Andrew) Sullivan of North Andover, Cecile, (Bruce) Galloway
of Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, and Robyn (Daniel) Pelletier of Derry, New Hampshire;
son-in-law, Dennis Salois of Derry, New Hampshire; and 14 grandchildren and 9
great-grandchildren.

Jeff Pemberton, one of the longest-serving volunteers for the Arkansas Regional
Library for the Blind.

Photo caption: Jeff Pemberton, one
of
the longest-serving volunteers for the Arkansas Regional Library
for the Blind.

Jeff Pemberton died on April 14, 2006, at age 93. Pemberton, shown here in
February 2005 at the library’s 10² Talking-Book Club reception, received a
plaque honoring his service as a TelecomPioneer with more than 45 years of
repairing talking-book machines. In mid-2005, Pemberton’s rapidly deteriorating
eyesight forced him to stop repairing machines. He became a patron of the library,
using the very machines he had helped repair for so many years.

Volunteers master new skills

During the months of December 2005 through May 2006, 84 people received
certificates in braille transcribing, 74 of which were awarded in literary
braille transcribing, one in literary braille proofreading, seven in mathematics
braille transcribing, and two in music braille transcribing.

Tennessee hosts machine-repair workshop

Caption: Fred Steele inspects his machine.

Volunteers and staff from the Tennessee Library for the
Blind and Physically Handicapped (TLBPH); the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Services, Mississippi Library Commission; the Alabama Regional Library for
the Blind and Physically Handicapped; and the Kentucky Library for the Blind
and Physically Handicapped gathered for the first Mid-South machine repair
workshop on August 31, 2006, at TLBPH in Nashville.